Overview & Reviews

Acura is an upscale automaker known for offering cars with impressive levels of luxury, features and performance. It's come a long way in a short time, however, as the history of Acura is relatively brief. Parent company Honda introduced the Acura brand to the U.S. market in 1986 in an effort to create a separate luxury division for its products. At first, it was just a two-car show: the Legend sedan, which was the first true Japanese luxury car sold in America, and the Integra sport coupe and sedan.

Though essentially a marketing creation for the North American market, the Acura brand was immediately successful. Consumers liked the features, performance and upscale image of Acura cars, along with the fact that Acuras were backed by Honda's reputation for reliability and low ownership costs. In 1991, Acura introduced its crown jewel: the all-aluminum NSX sports car, which offered performance close to that of other exotic cars while undercutting them in price.

As Acura's product line grew in the 1990s, however, the company struggled a bit. Some of its products were duds, and it risked alienating loyal customers when it replaced the Legend and Integra names with alphanumeric designations. The company jumped on the hot luxury SUV bandwagon in the mid-'90s with the SLX. Unfortunately, the SLX was just a rebadged version of an Isuzu SUV, and its quality did not match customers' expectations.

For the new millennium, Acura revamped its product range. An all-new SUV called the MDX debuted, sporting numerous family-friendly features, including a third-row seat. The Integra was replaced with the RSX sport coupe, and an all-new entry-level sport sedan called the TSX was introduced after that. A complete redesign of its most popular model, the midsize TL sedan, followed, as did a redesign of its flagship RL luxury sedan.

By mid-decade the NSX was gone, but Acura filled out its model lineup with the street-performance-oriented RDX compact crossover, the TSX wagon and the ZDX, a fastback-styled crossover that placed unique styling over practicality. Today Acura is still trying to find its ideal niche but there's no denying the quality of Acura's vehicles, nor their appealing mix of performance, technology and value.

User Reviews:

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  2007 3.2 TL - 2007 Acura TL
  By Enthusiast - December 1 - 6:44 pm

  Bought this car because of its design and reliability. The second week I had ignition problem, which was fixed by the dealer. The car drives well and I feel very secure behind the wheel. But, the squeaks and the little noises drive me crazy. With every additional mile, the noises increase exponentially. The noise problem is present in every heavy car. I had a GS before, which was no stranger to the constant sounds but the noises are profoundly present in this car more than others. I would think again before buying this car again.

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  Acura TL Type S - 2007 Acura TL
  By greg - December 1 - 4:40 pm

  Tried all the competition and chose this car, for its the most balanced auto in terms of price, quality, engine, transmission, power, options, etc. Nice car no doubt!

• 

  Perfect size. Great fun. - 2008 Acura RDX
  By nomorecivicsi02 - November 30 - 9:19 pm

  I needed a vehicle to replace my 2002 civic Si. The first time I drove the RDX I knew I wanted one. This thing is as much fun to drive as my Si. If youre looking for a small, quick, great handling SUV with some luxury, this is the vehicle for you.

• 

  Great Ride - 2007 Acura RDX
  By Henry FL1 - November 30 - 7:45 pm

  Other than gas mileage, its a fun car to drive. Notice how I said "car" - it does not drive like a SUV at all. I considered the Honda CRV loaded, but it lacked some-like no useable armrest etc.

• 

  Good Car for the Money - 2006 Acura TSX
  By UteNick - November 30 - 11:53 am

  I just bought the vehicle two weeks ago, and I really love it. Its my first brand new car, and Acura makes great vehicles.

• 

  2001 Acura TL - 2001 Acura TL
  By TLowner - November 30 - 10:09 am

  My TL rides great after 7 years. One major problem I had was that the AC wasnt working and it took 3 times to the shop to fix. The door trim also peeled and cracked after 2 years and the cushion on the center console deflated. After 6 years, the paint started fading. You would think that Acura would build their cars better than that. I still like driving my TL but wished the looks lasted longer.

• 

  Overall, a great little car - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Vince - November 30 - 7:26 am

  For those reviewers complaining about the lack of luxury features, realize what kind of car this is supposed to be. This was Acuras entry level car, not their flagship. About the tranny, I know many other sport compacts that have the same tranny issues. After 3 years, I still love this car. In stock form, its pretty bland, but Ive taken care of that. Performance is so so if you dont hit the hot cam, but handling is above average. The rear can get pretty nervous when the roads get rough. This is NOT a long haul vehicle and not the greatest for city and/or bumper to bumper. The stock stereo is pretty weak. If u dont go crazy, 34 MPG is easily attainable. Overall, this is a good car.

• 

  Just short of Awsome - 2004 Acura TL
  By tp2005 - November 29 - 10:20 pm

  I took delivery of my new TL in September. After a short test drive I was sold. Excellent comfort, performance, and build quality. Would not recommend buying the tester in the future. Found scuff marks on the front bumper that the dealer could not buff out. They offered to paint it, havent returned for that yet. Only other complaint would be the low speed brake squeal when backing. Probably would buy again if given a second chance.

• 

  Wonderful car - 1996 Acura Integra
  By Raven - November 29 - 7:58 pm

  Ive owned my GS-R for 5 years (bought it used) and have loved driving it ever since. Who would have thought 4 cylinders could do what this car does. I have to get a larger car now due to family additions, but this car has set a standard for quality, reliability and performance that will have to be met by the next car I drive - which will be an Acura, thanks to this little marvel. Great handling, no problems, loves the road and you can count on this little machine. What else is there?

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  Acura = 10 years without repair work - 1997 Acura TL
  By ealfarotx - November 29 - 6:09 pm

  Ive owned this car for 10 years and other than regular oil changes and regular maintenance I have only spent $250 for on-board computer connector that was replaced. Its time to do the timing-belt change now, but thats expected with close to 100k miles.